KIRKUS REVIEW

On a tiny island near St. Croix, Dr.
Nicole Angeli searches for critically endangered ground lizards.

A straightforward narrative follows
the young, white herpetologist as she looks and listens for animals as part of
her fieldwork. In her search she encounters a green walking-stick insect, a
pearly-eyed thrasher, land crabs, and finally the tiny lizard, which she
catches, weighs, measures, and puts back where she found it. These St. Croix ground
lizards exist only on offshore islands because the mongooses farmers brought to
control the rat population ate lizards and birds on the main island instead.
The researcher and co-author—the titular “Lizard Lady”—is part of a scientific
group working to save these reptiles through a conservation translocation
project aiming to establish them on two additional islands. The simple text is
printed in a large font over Jones’ digital paintings, which include images of
white scientists working with black island children as well as curiously static
scenes of Nicole at work in a lush tropical setting and the wildlife. As is the
case for other books from this publisher, the title, also available in Spanish
as La dama de las Siguanas, features helpful backmatter (here,
further information about the lizards, their adaptations, the scientist, and
invasive species), making it particularly welcome in educational settings.

A glimpse of science in the field
for early readers. (map, learning activities) (Nonfiction. 5-8)

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